Why the scale is my bestfriend

Blame my love for pour over! 

I decided to get a scale only after 2 years of home brewing & I'd say it's a game changer. Specifically buying one for coffee, I immediately invested on Acaia Lunar.

Okay so, this wasn't the case for the shop when I worked. This was the setup. Pour over on heat plate, scale was only used to measure beans, and amount of water is dependent on the carafe's 300ml line. Ugh. I can't do it. Never trust your eyes. They lie. 

Eventually, I was able to encourage my fellow baristas to use the scale, and ask the owner to buy one where time and weight is on one screen. It really made me happy.

The reason is greater than the idea that consistency is key. I encouraged everyone to use it because eyeballing it is dependent on whoever's doing it. All baristas represent the shop, and having one of the most unique & expensive drinks we offer in the cafe should be done correctly by everyone.

No one is better than the other. Relying on a scale is creating a standard & a team is greater than the sum of its parts.

Manners, please?

Sometimes I’d wonder why some of us aren’t taught common courtesy in coffee shops. Like, why? I also wonder if it’s not common sense to be polite. Nawp, nah, nada not where I work. The location of the cafe where I’ve been working is surrounded by regular household income - rich neighborhoods. Most of those I encounter are pretty good and decent. There’d just be a few times when all these mispicks of the Good Morals and Right Conduct (GMRC) class would all come together! Ugh, trust me, it’s 10x draining to handle these people. 

Okay, so one would come up by the counter, be on their phone, while ordering a drink. There’s a lot of communication going on with the one on register and customer just in this transaction. We’d have to ask what size, hot or iced, if they want cream or sugar, which type of sugar, and some other clarifications. That doesn’t even end there! We’d ask them to sign a receipt, and if they’d want to keep their copy. It takes about 2 minutes minimum for this whole process if you’re quickly decided on what to order. But imagine if the one on register has to ask in charades version, and would feel so excused to bother you for all these questions, WHILE you’re out there speaking to somebody on the phone. That’s some type of rudeness. Some would even raise their pointer finger to stop you from talking. At this point though, I am seething. 

One other thing that bothers me is when a customer would order a drink or something different, like a special. They try it and realize how they didn’t like it. The barista made the drink right, but it just wasn’t their thing. Isn’t it just right to have learned your lesson to read and know what that drink is, before ordering it, and see if you’re willing to take the risk of trying something that may be of an acquired taste, because of your not-so-fine palette? Isn’t it just right to simply order another drink that you’d rather have? 

They’d come up by the bar and say “I tasted  it and it’s just… not my thing or not what I imagined it to be. Can you change it?”. I just want to say “No.” and walk away, but I just can’t. So I say “Oh… okay. Which would you want instead?”, and go ahead to make the drink. In my mind, I’ve thrown the drink replacement to the customer, but I… can’t. I hate it because everything we do has a cost and price to it, but we also have to weigh which would matter more. Would it be a bad review while slapping some sense to the guest, or just end the conversation and get them what they want? 

Some people just don’t know what it’s like to be “people”, cause um… excuse me? Manners, please?

Your Barista is a talkative introvert

“I’m so tired. Why do I speak a lot when I know it exhausts me???”,  “Why do I start a conversation when I’m socially exhausted???”, “Why do I still sound cheerful even if I’m drained?”.

To answer these questions, I did my research on introverts (just to confirm, even if I knew already), and yes. I consider myself as one. Being a Barista has been socially exhausting for me. Engaging in insignificant small talks drains the hell out of me. Asking about how someone’s day is, and forgetting about it after that transaction feels useless and at the same time necessary for a shop to be inviting & comforting. Basically, baristas are also therapists hahaha (kidding). 

When an enthusiast comes up by the bar and seems curious about the coffee things we offer, I can’t help myself but ask, engage in conversation and give a whole lecture about coffee. Introverts are also some of those who can speak non stop when it comes to something they’re passionate about. It so happens that I’m in that profession… hmpft. 

For some reason, even if I love what I do as a Barista, it feels as if I wouldn’t want to stay for long, because it could easily burn me out. Yes, I do well in customer service or crafting drinks, but it’s all because it’s part of my job. Hospitality is part of my education and nationality, and I also have to be this way and give my very best in whatever I do. It’s in my character to work as a professional, and naturally be an introvert. 

A way for me to relieve this exhaustion is by swimming, running or doing some workout. Some type of solitude. To wrap it up, I love what I do, but if I can’t take it anymore, you’ll find me in that calm down cabinet. Just so you know. 

Too many paths to take

The coffee chain is so long, and so widespread, that it can be insanely frustrating to know where to find your place. From coffee farmer, producer, green coffee buyer, roaster, barista, instructor, q grader, production assistant, cafe manager, content creator, blogger, up until business owner (and many more that I’m not aware of)

The more I get frustrated when I am told to choose. Why should I? What if I’d love to learn everything? Can I do that? Honestly, I have no clue. This is absolutely uncertain, but I want to make it possible.

I realize that my biggest goal to be a business owner is to go through most of the career paths in coffee, in order to empathize with every sector, and to educate future professionals with honest intentions. To learn, I must experience things firsthand. I want to understand every problem in every sector, in order to correct what I can control.

So many people do really great with sticking to one of these professions or marking 2 or 3 possible careers in coffee, and we need those people. They find themselves passionate on that job, and we need them to pass that level of expertise to whoever's interested. That may be not your style, but it could also be!

With that said, coffee careers are everywhere. Right now, I’m currently in the process of barista -> coffee farm -> ? . I’d really love to complete all the SCA classes and get the diploma, while working as a cafe manager, or compete in a Barista competition.

The challenge is to find the right opportunity, and manage finances well by doing so. A barista job isn’t paid enough. Damn, I wish I had a mentor and I knew what to do.

The Cafe Concept

From the smallest detail of disposables up until saving energy to run the cafe, the goal is to maximize everything, and to be zerowaste - less wasteful.

Starting from the materials used to build the cafe, I’d look for recycled wood and stone (p 96 of Standart 24 as reference)

To go or take out is discouraged but will be available for a fee, unless personal containers are provided. Disposables will be made out of materials that degrade so quickly. We will find partners to supply these products.

Used beans will be dried and bagged to display for those who may want to use it for gardening. Grounds may be distributed to gardens too!

For the espresso machine, Victoria Arduino’s technology in saving water is my most preferred brand.

The feel and theme of the shop is like a patio with indoor and outdoor seats, surrounded by plants. Mist fans to keep people cool. Has this terrace feel. Sunroofs to save energy for light.

Anything biodegradable in the kitchen can be used to form a liquid to use as fertilizer for the plants.

Paperless transactions. Receipts are emailed.

I’m thinking of hiring an environmentalist to join my team.

There will be a small temperature controlled place beside the shop for roasting and cupping classes.

Starting a career in coffee, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I write this article about 1 year after I got accepted in a coffee shop, focused on espresso based drinks. It was the first ever legit barista job I got back in June 2020.

March 2020, after my Culinary Internship has ended, I got back to Texas, where my family is. It is the exact time that the world is shutting down, flights are getting cancelled, and interns from the resort I worked at are being sent home even if their contract wasn’t over yet.

May 2020 graduation in my college in the Philippines didn’t push through. Flights in & out of the country & Europe trip for June with the whole family is cancelled. My $5000 Panama internship for Sept 2020 is cancelled & until now, I’m ghosted for the promised refund.

What were my thoughts back in March? Well…. might as well get a job in coffee while I’m here. Not exactly the best idea, but bro… I’m bored & I don’t have much options if I want to pursue something that I love. I need money too. I applied for Starbucks. I hated their application process. They loved me, but I realized how transparent I was with the plans that could push through if the pandemic would be over in a certain time frame, and they didn’t see me growing with them. So I crossed Starbucks applications off my list

I started a coffee YouTube channel, I applied again, and a start up company hired me in April 2020. The interior isn’t done yet, but they were looking for people to help assemble the store, and fill in “Barista” positions. While we were doing crafty stuff, I volunteered to design a “Now Open” chalk signage by the side walk. I somehow got the store manager & owners to notice my skill in letter art/ chalk art. The walls of the shop were chalkboard painted. You could say that it has this crafty, classy, sophisticated design for an upscale neighborhood grocery that they want it to be. They hired artists to do the chalk wall of the coffee and wine menu, prior to when they recognized what I can do. With that, I was asked if I can do a produce wall! I did and they loved it more than the group that they hired. I was freakin’ excited, until they had me do 3 more walls. It wasn’t fun anymore. It really burned me out.

My sentiments? This is not why I applied for this job. I am artsy, yes. The question is, what knowledge do I get from here if I have to do these walls for 4-8 hours each and not get to hear what the manager was saying about wines or gelatos. Plus, I wasn’t paid for the design that was squeezed off of my brain! Hello???

Bridgette, the one who hired me, was very passionate about crafting drinks, wine, & coffee. I wanted to learn so much from her! Unfortunately, she had an argument with the other store manager and resigned a week after the store opened. I decided to resign too (June 2020) because it felt like the other manager was depending on me for coffee learning. I’m like “bro, I came here to learn”. At that point, I wanted to find a place where I was surrounded with more knowledgable people & be the most stupid one in the room (coffee related, of course).

Immediately, I started looking for more barista occupations around my area in Mckinney. I can’t go too far because my brother was driving me around. I had trouble applying for a license because offices were closed. I had 2 interviews immediately a week after the resignation.

I got hired by Wattage Coffee Co. A coffee shop inside the bike shop! What are the odds, right?! This bike shop had so many people going in & out, hoping to have their bikes fixed & to have a bike available for sale, because people have been enjoying the outdoors! There was a surge of people who became cyclists during the pandemic. It was insane! The current baristas they had, had to help with the bike side because it needed more attention. They needed to hire someone to take charge of the bar. That was me.

As a triathlete, I was fascinated with what I can learn from the bike side. I learned the coffee side so quickly. It was slow and I’d get about 10 customers a day. Cara, my trainer, encouraged me to watch latte art videos. I was practicing for hours with food coloring and soapy water. In 3 weeks, I could form a heart already! I worked for 24 hours, 3 days in a week. Earned $8 an hour + tips.

It sucks. It did. My salary was low and I accepted it because I didn’t know my worth and I was just desperate to find a coffee job. I even considered getting into bike sales, thinking that it could possibly be my career. I had to re align my goals and stick with coffee. Coffee is my focus. Sadly, the income wasn’t sustainable as well. I had too much time in my hands. I have a corgi who has expenses too. 2 months later, I decided to look for a second job.

(August 2020) I landed on 3 interviews in one week. All of these coffee shops offered me a drink and I asked for iced mocha all the time. My initial thought was “hmmm… whoever has the best mocha will be where I want to be”. Hahaha I know it’s dumb. Summer moon had the best though. I saw potential in 2 coffee shops. Summer Moon, and Kona Reserve Coffee.

I passed the initial interview with Summer Moon & had the chance to have an interview with the owner. I mentioned how I’m looking for a part time job because I would like to work with wattage still, since they took me in during the pandemic. After that, he told me how they have an exclusivity contract. They couldn’t hire me. It was understandable but during that time, it was sad. Their mocha moon was so good, plus the manager who interviewed me worked at The Greenbrier, the same resort that I came from. Now that I’m writing this though, I’m quite glad that I didn’t get in. Summer moon is a Texas chain cafe that specializes on their sweet milk, and their coffee is fire roasted. Uhhh… Not much of a fan of this method.

At that time, Kona Reserve hasn’t given me a response yet. I was anxious. They knew that I still wanted to work with wattage for a couple of months, then transfer.

I realized after that, If I wanted to grow with a coffee shop, I had to choose a side. Should I be with Wattage because I owed it to them, or should I find a place that I could learn from & challenge myself with in coffee? I was really hopeless with job hunting in my area. I was thinking of going out of state if I didn’t have opportunity here.

I decided to resign from Wattage since I wasn’t getting enough. On the day that I gave my 2 weeks notice, Kona Reserve Coffee sent me a message saying that they’d be willing to work around my schedule for 2 months, then I am to transfer. I replied and told them that my work hours are free now that I’ve resigned and I’ll be working full time with them, while having some of my conditions met.

The owner was shocked with the sudden change of plans. We had a meeting scheduled the day after. Initially, I was asked of what pay I’m looking for and I said $8(?). During our second meeting, I asked if it can be a dollar more instead. He agreed. I simply decided to work my way up and hopefully prove my worth.

To wrap it up, I am now working at Kona Reserve for 10 1/2 months as a Barista. How is it like working there? My fellow baristas are really kind and some are experienced. I’ve been learning latte art from Thomas and learning how to be efficient on the bar & get creative with flavor combinations from Joci. We get rushes, difficult people and strange situations to learn from. We get about 100 - 150 transactions a day, and the exhaustion has been making my job more fulfilling. Kona Reserve is a local Hawaiian themed quality coffee shop that has a partnership with one of Kona’s producers.

The search for where I had to be was difficult, given the opportunity that surrounded me during the peak of the pandemic. Being driven & ambitious when the world is halting is a nightmare to begin with. For all it’s worth, I am lucky to be where I am. No matter what other circumstances that I’d be trapped with, learning never stops. We just have to maximize what we have in the present too.

Ode Brew Grinder. Uh… I think it’s ok. Maybe I’m the problem.

Ode on my counter

Cleaning this is annoying as heck. I swear. It said that it’s easy to have the blades come off, with just one click, but it doesn’t after 2 times of reassembling it. I slammed it facing down in hopes of having it come off and may have damaged the button. I am an idiot. Now, the button is loose and it runs sometimes even if I don’t press it. I cry.

Now the hopper is another annoying thing. I don’t really have to make much of a fuss about this but beans just get stuck in there. With the static involved & the idea to apply the RDT (Ross Droplet Technique), it just wouldn’t slide and you have to move the beans or push it around the black thing to make sure that it gets ground up.

I must admit. I still love the way it looks, and love it on my counter because it’s just so compact and it gets the job done. However, it still is annoying.

Peace!

Coffee Snob. Is this a compliment?

A scoff from the guest, when I asked if they want cream or sugar is what sparked this thought of mine.

As a Barista in this Kona Coffee shop, that offers good quality & great tasting coffee, I’ve had quite a few conversations with people where they’d describe themselves or a friend as a coffee snob. They’d smile to this. But really? Is it a good thing?

A snob is someone who thinks highly of themselves and who shames people for what they do. Don’t get me wrong. I’m an avid black coffee fan. However, ever since I’ve worked behind bar, and learned how beautiful & creative flavors can be with coffee, I too have been hooked & amazed with these possibilities!

It may sound as a compliment for some, as saying that you are a coffee snob is also a way of saying that “I prefer good quality coffee” or “I don’t like burnt coffee” or “I would pay for a good cup of coffee”, but hopefully we could change this term as “Coffee Enthusiast” instead. It sounds…. friendlier!

Coffee is amazing. It brings people together. Let’s all enjoy our coffee and be inclusive of how people appreciate their drink. Let’s share thoughts on our preferences, and maybe you can encourage that tasty Caramel Macchiato drinker to try this unique, floral tasting Peaberry, because either way, both drinks won’t be made possible without coffee in it!